Today's letters: Scientist on CO2

Sunday

May 11, 2014 at 12:01 AM

Scientist on CO2

To the editor: This is an answer to the “scientific opinion” of Georganne Wilke. As a signer of the “infamous” petition sent to Congress by 31,497 degreed individuals in science or engineering, I wish to point out that our opinions were based on scientific fact, not a flawed IPCC climate model.

To the editor: This is an answer to the “scientific opinion” of Georganne Wilke. As a signer of the “infamous” petition sent to Congress by 31,497 degreed individuals in science or engineering, I wish to point out that our opinions were based on scientific fact, not a flawed IPCC climate model.Years ago, I obtained my B.S. degree in aeronautical engineering, which included studies in meteorology, physics, chemistry and thermodynamics. I worked on the lunar module during my engineering career. I’ve continued my study of weather and climate.You must be aware that the temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere, as reported by NASA, has not risen measurably in the last 17 years, while that dirty polluter CO2 has continued its merry track up to 400 ppm.I might note that 400 ppm is not a big number. In other words, CO2 represents only .00004 of the Earth’s atmosphere. And of that, man only contributes only a minute fraction.There are many scientists opposed to the politics of global warming in other developed countries. So do not give us the 97 percent and consensus hype about scientists in fear of climate change. The Earth will take care of itself without our help.Joseph GerardiBrevard

To the editor: The Supreme Court ruling on prayer before government meetings is out of step with the realities of modern-day America. Government should not be in the business of forcing faith on anyone, and now everyone who attends local town board meetings could be subjected to the religion of the majority.Judge Anthony Kennedy expressed the mindset of a court behind the culture. In writing the decision, he expressed the attitudes of people who have chosen to forget what democracy is. Kennedy told non-Christians to simply leave the room if you don’t like Christian prayers before a meeting. It was an arrogant statement that expresses much of today’s attitudes. Too many American Christians have forgotten that once they were a persecuted minority.Kennedy also spoke for those who have forgotten what Christianity is. Christians should have been offended when Judge Kennedy expressed that praying “in Jesus’ name” is ceremonial. He relegated prayer to the same status as the Pledge of Allegiance — just public protocol. Jesus had some strong words to say to the Pharisees about praying in public. But now our Supreme Court has cleared all that up for us. We should not take public prayer seriously; it is only ceremonial!Phillip AllenOrdained Baptist minister and president of the WNC Chapter of Americans United for the Separation of Church and StateHendersonville

To the editor: I know it’s far easier for the overworked and underpaid editorial staff of the Times-News to simply copy some other editorial (from a wire service no doubt) than present their own thoughtful and well-reasoned opinions.But what’s really depressing is to see them reprint an editorial (from the Colorado Springs Gazette) as they did on Tuesday, May 6, without seeming to check the logic or even the facts.What purports to be an explanation of the economics of the minimum wage only reveals that the anonymous author either never took an economics class or, if he or she did, slept through it.There are too many economic fallacies in this one editorial to respond to in a short letter. Suffice it to say that anyone who really thinks that doubling the price of candy will cut consumption in half doesn’t know anything about how the real world operates. Try that price doubling idea on cigarettes and see where that gets you.It is good to hear “Other Voices” (as this column is called) from time to time. Just please, don’t choose voices that insult the intelligence of your readership.Philip RakitaHendersonville